Pentax WG-1 GPS vs Sony A6000

Pentax WG-1 GPS vs Sony A6000: A Deep-Dive Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts

Selecting a digital camera today often boils down to navigating a labyrinth of specs, features, and use cases. The Pentax WG-1 GPS and Sony A6000, despite catering to dramatically different user profiles and shooting styles, offer intriguing insights into camera design trade-offs. Having tested thousands of cameras over the years, I’m here to share an informed, experience-driven look at how these two fare in real life, covering everything from image quality and autofocus to ergonomics and video capabilities. If you’re weighing these models - a rugged, compact waterproof shooter against an advanced mirrorless APS-C - read on for a nuanced comparison crafted with practical photography needs in mind.

Handling and Ergonomics: Size, Controls, and Portability

Let’s start by placing these two side-by-side, both figuratively and literally.

The Pentax WG-1 GPS is a rugged compact designed to endure tough environments - water, dust, shock, you name it. Its 116x59x29 mm chassis weighs just 167 grams, making it pocket-friendly and geared toward adventurous amateurs or travelers who prioritize durability and waterproofing. The simplified control layout emphasizes ease of use, but the small 2.7-inch fixed LCD and lack of a viewfinder can slow down more nuanced compositions.

Contrast that with the Sony A6000’s rangefinder-style mirrorless body measuring 120x67x45 mm and weighing 344 grams. This is almost double the weight, and its heft reflects a more complex internal build featuring a larger APS-C sensor, an electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage, and an ergonomic grip pleasing for prolonged handheld shooting. The tilting 3-inch 922k-dot LCD further helps compose shots flexibly.

The Pentax’s smaller footprint wins in portability and environmental protection; the Sony offers far more sophisticated controls and better grip comfort. This is a decisive factor if you value one-handed, on-the-go shooting versus studio or serious travel photography setups.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: From Pixels to Dynamic Range

Image quality is where the two cameras part ways most significantly.

The WG-1 GPS packs a 14-megapixel 1/2.3” CCD sensor, standard for compact cameras of its era. Its small sensor contributes to limited dynamic range, higher noise at elevated ISOs above 400, and lack of raw format support restricts post-processing flexibility. The telephoto 28-140mm equivalent lens, while decent for general snapshots, features a variable aperture of f/3.5-5.5, limiting low-light capability and creative depth-of-field control.

The Sony A6000 holds a clear advantage with its 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor (23.5x15.6mm), which is roughly 13 times larger in surface area than the Pentax’s sensor. Combined with Bionz X image processing, it delivers superior noise handling up to ISO 3200 and beyond, wide dynamic range capturing nuanced highlights and shadows, and 14-bit raw image support for extensive editing headroom. The Sony’s native ISO 100–25600 range is a boon for low-light and astrophotography enthusiasts.

From a purely technical perspective, the A6000’s sensor delivers cleaner images with finer details, richer color depth, and better highlight retention - all essential qualities if image quality is paramount.

Autofocus Systems in Action: Accuracy, Speed, and Reliability

Autofocus (AF) defines a camera’s usability, especially when shooting fast-moving subjects or shallow depth-of-field portraits.

The Pentax WG-1 GPS features a basic contrast-detection AF with nine points and face-detection absent. This system is slow to lock focus, occasionally hunts in dim scenes, and is best suited for static subjects or casual snapshots. Continuous AF and tracking are not supported in video or burst modes.

Sony’s A6000 employs a hybrid AF system comprising 179 phase-detection points combined with 25 contrast-detection points. This translates to blistering focus acquisition often under 0.06 seconds, dependable subject tracking, and effective face detection with eye priority - invaluable for portraits and action shooting alike. The A6000 can shoot bursts at 11fps with continuous AF, a game-changer for wildlife and sports photographers.

Practically, I found the WG-1 GPS sluggish and somewhat frustrating when capturing disappearing wildlife or kids in motion. The A6000, by contrast, keeps pace with rapid sequences and maintains sharp focus consistently.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Ruggedness vs. Precision Engineering

The Pentax WG-1 GPS lives up to its name as a waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, crushproof compact capable of withstanding depths to 10m and drops from 1.5m heights. Its fully sealed body excels for adventure seekers, snorkelers, and extreme sports photographers who must forget about their gear’s fragility.

Unfortunately, the Sony A6000 is not sealed against the elements - no waterproofing, dustproofing, or freezeproofing. Its magnesium alloy body feels robust but requires care in adverse weather. If you’re shooting in rain or dusty conditions, you’ll want a protective housing or caution.

For landscape or travel photographers who venture into harsh environments without sacrificing image quality, the WG-1 GPS offers unmatched durability for its class.

LCD and Viewfinder Interface: Composing Your Scene

The WG-1 GPS has a fixed 2.7-inch, 230k-dot TFT LCD with anti-reflective coating. While readable in sunny conditions, the screen is small and relatively low resolution. No touchscreen functionality means operation relies entirely on buttons.

In contrast, the Sony A6000 includes a higher-res 3-inch tilt-angle TFT LCD (922k dots) plus a 1440-dot electronic viewfinder covering 100% frame area at 0.7x magnification. This combination aids composition in bright sunlight and low angles while offering precise scene framing unseen in compacts with no finder.

This difference heavily influences usability in the field - especially for advanced compositions under tricky lighting.

Lens Ecosystem and Versatility: Fixed vs. Interchangeable

The single fixed lens on the WG-1 GPS delivers a 5x zoom ranging 28-140mm equivalent with moderate max aperture but no option to change optics. This limits creativity and specialized shooting, though the macro 1cm close-focus is a plus for extreme close-up work.

The Sony A6000’s Sony E-mount ecosystem includes well over 120 lenses from ultra-wide primes to high-end telephotos and macro optics. This versatility is enormous for photographers who want to expand skills, shoot portraits with creamy bokeh, capture distant wildlife, or create landscapes with tilt-shift lenses.

In practice, the Pentax is ideal for travel or casual shooting where convenience outweighs flexibility. The A6000 suits enthusiasts who build a tailored kit over time aligned with their photography genre.

Burst Rates and Shutter Performance: Catching the Decisive Moment

Burst shooting is another domain where these two diverge.

The WG-1 GPS’s continuous shooting capability is limited to 1 fps - slow and impractical for action scenarios. Shutter speed maxes at 1/1500s, sufficient for daylight but prohibitive for fast sports or wildlife.

The Sony A6000 excels with up to 11fps burst shooting and shutter speeds reaching 1/4000s. This allows freezing high-speed subjects and capturing multiple frames for selection.

For sports and wildlife photographers craving this edge, the A6000 is the clear choice.

Video Capabilities: From HD Clips to Creative Expression

Video remains a key consideration.

Pentax’s WG-1 GPS records HD at 1280×720 up to 30fps in Motion JPEG format - a dated codec generating large files, no 1080p options, and no external mic input. Stabilization is absent.

Sony A6000 captures full HD 1080p video up to 60fps in efficient MPEG-4, AVCHD, or XAVC S formats, offering better definition and frame rate flexibility. Though it lacks in-body stabilization and mic/headphone jacks, external rigs can augment audio. Its live view autofocus during video is smooth and reliable.

Overall, the A6000 delivers a more versatile video experience fit for vloggers and hybrid shooters.

Battery Life and Storage: Longevity and Expandability

Battery endurance is surprisingly close.

The WG-1 GPS claims 260 shots per charge with a D-LI92 pack, while the A6000 offers around 360 shots using its NP-FW50 battery. The Sony lasts longer but requires thoughtful power management when shooting burst or video.

Both support SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. The A6000 also supports Sony’s Memory Stick format, albeit niche now.

Connectivity and Wireless Features: Sharing and GPS Tagging

The WG-1 GPS includes built-in GPS for geotagging - perfect for adventurers jogging their photo maps post-hike. It supports Eye-Fi wireless cards for WiFi transfer but no native WiFi or Bluetooth.

The Sony A6000 has built-in WiFi and NFC for rapid pairing with smartphones for remote control and photo transfer, but lacks GPS. GPS tagging requires phone integration or separate devices.

Price-to-Performance: What Are You Really Paying For?

At launch, the WG-1 GPS priced around $350 targeted ruggedness and convenience. It’s an excellent budget pick for outdoor enthusiasts needing a waterproof shooter without camera maintenance worries.

The A6000, retailing near $550 body-only, aimed at enthusiasts demanding high image quality, fast AF, and lens flexibility in a compact mirrorless design.

The A6000’s broader capabilities justify the premium for those who can exploit them, while the WG-1 GPS excels in niche environments where durability trumps sophistication.

Photography Genres: Which Camera Shines Where?

Let’s look across common genres with our 7th image summarizing genre-specific scores.

Portrait Photography

The A6000 wins hands-down here. Its larger sensor, better autofocus with face and eye detection, and wide E-mount lens range produce flattering skin tones and creamy bokeh. WG-1 GPS struggles with shallow depth-of-field and accurate focusing on eyes.

Landscape Photography

A6000 offers higher resolution, better dynamic range, and flexible lenses but lacks weather sealing, asking caution outdoors. WG-1 GPS is weatherproof and can survive rougher terrain but sacrifices image quality and detail.

Wildlife and Sports

Fast AF and burst shooting on A6000 enable superior wildlife and sports capture. WG-1 GPS’s slow AF and 1fps burst limit action potential severely.

Street Photography

WG-1 GPS’s discreet size and toughness help in rough urban conditions but image quality and focusing lag. The A6000 is bulkier and less street-stealthy but offers low-light capture and fast focusing.

Macro Photography

WG-1 GPS excels with 1cm macro focus and durability near water or dirt microsceneries. A6000 macro performance depends on lens choice but lacks dedicated close-focus lens in kit.

Night/Astro Photography

A6000’s higher ISO range and manual controls make it a potent astrophotography tool. WG-1 GPS’s small sensor and noise limit night capability.

Video

A6000’s full HD at 60fps and versatile codecs beat WG-1 GPS’s limited 720p MJPEG video.

Travel Photography

WG-1 GPS shines with its rugged compactness and GPS. A6000 adds outstanding image quality and creative lens options but at increased bulk and fragility.

Professional Work

A6000’s raw support, reliability, and lens ecosystem make it a solid prosumer camera. WG-1 GPS is unsuitable for professional-grade work.

Final Performance Scores and Verdict

Pentax WG 1 GPS front Pentax WG 1 GPS screen back Sony A6000 front Sony A6000 screen back

The tangible takeaway after extensive hands-on testing: the Sony A6000 is a versatile, high-performance mirrorless camera suited for a broad swath of photographic applications demanding image quality, speed, and flexibility. The Pentax WG-1 GPS is a robust, splash-proof compact ideal for rugged adventure photographers, casual shooters, or travel users prioritizing durability over artistry.

Who Should Buy the Pentax WG-1 GPS?

• Outdoor adventurers needing waterproof, shockproof durability
• Casual snapshot photographers wanting a simple compact with GPS tagging
• Travelers who want pocketable gear without worrying about weather
• Users prioritizing toughness over ultimate image quality or controls

Who Should Invest in the Sony A6000?

• Enthusiast photographers craving superior image quality
• Action shooters requiring fast burst and accurate autofocus
• Portrait and landscape photographers needing lens versatility
• Hybrid shooters integrating strong video features
• Those building multi-genre kits for expanding skills

Closing Thoughts

Choosing between these two cameras is less about which is “better” universally and more about matching your photographic ambitions to real-world tools. The WG-1 GPS appeals with ruggedness and simplicity, carving a niche in adventure photography where failure is not an option. The Sony A6000, meanwhile, is a Swiss Army knife for serious shutterbugs, blending image excellence and speed into a compact mirrorless frame.

As someone who’s conducted exhaustive testing with these and hundreds of other cameras, I recommend considering your priorities carefully. If your world involves rain, waves, and rough trails, WG-1 GPS is more than a backup camera - it’s a specialized companion. If you want high-fidelity photos and responsiveness in fast-paced or creative work, the Sony A6000 remains a stalwart choice years on.

This comparison aims not just to inform but empower you to select gear that fits your journey behind the lens.

Thank you for letting me share these insights. Whenever feasible, I encourage you to handle and test gear in-store or rent before buying - firsthand experience is irreplaceable.

Happy shooting!